The argument from poor design states that if God is perfect, why did he create us and many other living creatures so poorly?  For instance, we are vulnerable to many diseases, our bones break easily, and with age our bodies and minds break down.  You could also mention our poorly-made spines, inflexible knees, and pelvic bones that make childbirth difficult and painful for women.  Together, this biological evidence indicates that God does not exist (or that he did not create us well, in which case, there is no reason to worship him).  Believers might counter this argument by stating that if God is perfect, then he created us as well as could possibly be expected.  They might also argue that what we see as imperfections actually have a purpose in the larger workings of God's design. Point out the logical fallacy in this right away. We can't live our lives hoping that one day an explanation for why our eyes or shoulders were designed so poorly will arise. Reference the philosopher Voltaire, who wrote a novel about people looking for meaning after a devastating earthquake hit Paris. We are pattern-seeking animals, so naturally we look and hope for patterns where none can be found. Some might point out that God originally created humans in their perfect form, but after humanity sinned against God, God's original creation became corrupt and wrought with sin, and death and entropy entered the world as a result. Be aware of this rebuttal when using the flawed-design argument. The “God of the Gaps” argument is common when people argue that God exists.  It argues that whiles modern science can explain many things, it cannot explain others.  You can refute this by saying that the things we do not understand are decreasing every year, and that while natural explanations have replaced theistic explanations, supernatural or theistic explanations never replace scientific ones.  For instance, you might cite the example of evolution as one area where science has revised previous God-centric explanations for the variety of species in our world. Argue that religion has often been used to explain the unexplainable. The Greeks used Poseidon to explain how earthquakes happen, which we now know is due to the movement of tectonic plates to relieve pressure. If the existence of the world can be explained purely in scientific terms, then it is unnecessary to say that God brought the world into being.  According to the principle of Occam's razor, the simplest explanation is generally the best. Creationism is the belief that God created the world, usually within a relatively recent time-frame like 5,000-6,000 years ago. Draw on the wealth of reasonable evidence that disproves this, such as evolutionary data, fossils, radiocarbon dating, and ice cores to argue that creationism is false and that belief in God is unnecessary.  For instance, you might say, “We find rocks all the time that are dated to be millions or even billions of years old. Doesn't this conflict with the belief that the universe was recently created by God?” Some might argue that the earth only appears to be old because Noah's Flood dramatically changed the climate and geology of the earth. However, this fails to explain the millions of craters on the moon and the supernovas in outer space.
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One-sentence summary -- Propose that living beings are poorly designed. Show the history of replacing supernatural with natural explanations. Demonstrate the inaccuracy of creationism.


The "grain" of a cut of beef refers to the direction of major muscle fibers. You can usually see the direction visibly on beef, although less gamey cuts (like filet mignon) make be less clear. It's important to know where the grain is before cutting as you'll want to cut across the muscle. You'll increase the tenderness of your cut by severing the fibers.  Certain recipes might actually welcome some roughness in the meat, so long as the meat cuts are bite-sized. If this is the case, feel free to cut with the grain. Don't confuse grill marks with the grain. Grill marks are the cooking lines that show where the steak was placed on the grill. Backyard cooks can sometimes confuse the grill marks as grain lines. For the sake of traction, safety, and protecting your countertop, it's recommended you put your meat on a cutting board before you do anything to it. This will minimize the risk of anything going astray while you're working on it. Muscle in a piece of beef will increase its chewiness. This includes connective tissue, which is often seen on the exterior of a cut of meat. Muscle (and fat) are both usually visibly distinct from the rest of the cut. Hold the beef with one hand, and cut the muscle by sawing it back at forth with a knife. When it's cut off, discard it away from the meat you're preparing.  Don't hack away at the muscle if you're losing too much beef. If your beef has a lot of muscle on the outside, it's a good idea to cut it off before you cook. Different cuts carry different degrees of fat, and some recipes actually favour a bit of beef fat along with the steak. However, for certain dishes (like stir fry), the fat should be removed. It's ultimately up to you whether you'd prefer a lean or marbled cut. Too much fat can pose a health issue, but it does capture a lot of flavour. This can be done prior to cooking the meat. If you do so before cooking, you're likely to get the cleanest possible cut. If you're cutting down a bigger piece of meat and want relatively equal-sized chunks, it's a good idea to measure out parts with a ruler. Take a ruler and measure out pieces of the beef. From there, make noticeable incisions. These will be a placemarker for you when you make each of the cuts, and save you having to bring out the ruler for each time. Again, it is important to remember you want to mark your cuts against the grain of the muscle fibres. A meat fork helps ensure that your piece of beef won't slip while you're cutting it. This helps ensure your cut is smooth. More importantly, it limits the risk of the knife slipping and causing injury. Because a proper beef cut should be smooth, the only mindwork you'll need to do is with positioning the knife itself. Aim the far end of your knife for the far end of the meat, aiming it downward at an angle. Think of the knife as a guillotine or a paper cutter. When you begin to cut the beef, you'll want to keep the knife is the exact same position. Having a proper butcher's knife makes the process of cutting beef a lot smoother. If you're regularly preparing meat in your cooking, it's a good idea to invest in a high-end knife set. Other utensils, like forks, don't usually warrant the same quality. Properly cutting beef should be a very smooth process. Push the knife down gently, rocking it back and forth slowly. Provided your knife is sharp enough, you shouldn't need a lot of force to do this. Keep working downward until the slice is severed from the rest of the cut. Set the beef aside, and move on to the next segment until you're done. Again, don't forget to cut against the grain. This has an important effect on the meat's texture. Aesthetics during mealtime are often underrated, but they have a big impact on the way food is received. If you're serving multiple pieces of meat per dish, it's a good idea to serve them together. If you're bringing the beef out on a platter, it can be appetizing to reassemble them in the shape of the original cut. This increases the impression of freshness.
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One-sentence summary --
Identify the grain. Place the meat on a cutting board. Cut away surface muscle. Trim off the fat. Mark your cuts. Hold your cut in place with a meat fork. Position a butcher's knife at an angle near the steak's endmost point. Cut the beef using a smooth, downward motion. Present the beef with your meal.